The Untold Stories of a Band
by MerenwenShili-Dwelf of Lorien
Summary: Stories! w00t! Ya know, someone has to record all the crazy stuff that goes on in my HS band....why not me? Enjoy you guys! R&R plz!
1. BAND STORY 1! With Characters too!

Ok, every band geek (nerd, dork, etc.) knows that u meet the most interesting and fun people in band. It's great. This is the story of what goes on in my HS band. *Note* People's names are changed for their own sanity.

CHARACTERS!! I'll probably forget some people, and havta come back later, and add them

FRESHMAN!

Sheila – Me! I'm a clarinet player *1st clarinet, 5th chair* ('cept I play trumpet, sax, and mallets too but not a lot of people know that shhh!), and I'm in pep band. That about covers it for me! Wait no! I forgot the good part! I'M A BANDGEEK! GO ME! 

Kristin – Flute player, pep band member. A really good friend (or as we say "fiend") of mine. Kris and I share the same views on many things. She's also a BANDGEEK.

John – He's a Bari sax player, in pep band and is also a big band geek. He gets on many people's nerves. Aka Bariman. 

Randal – He's my buddy. He plays clarinet *3rd clarinet*, however he despises band, and isn't in pep band. Oh well, he's a lost cause!!!!

Star – She also plays clarinet, and she isn't in pep band either, but she's always really nice!

Margie – SECOND CHAIR TRUMPET! I'm s0o0oo proud. A freshman! Go her! In a bunch of my classes too. LOTR fan here!

SOPHMORES!

Cheri – Flute player, in pep band with the rest of us. Buddy o mine.

Nicholas – Clarinet player*2nd chair of the second clarinets*, in pep band. He's a dork! Naah, just kidding'. He's weird though, so watch out!

Alicia – Well…she's a bit of an oddball. She's not in band, but she plays with the pep band. Just because. She plays clarinet too. I'm usually between her and Mike at the football games so they don't bite each other's heads off. 

Fred – Mike's best friend and an oboe player. The one and ONLY oboe player hahaha. He play's alto saxophone too, so that works. He's not in pep band. Boo! Just playing, he has an excuse. He's a football player. I don't how good he is though. It's not like I go the football games and watch them play football, our team sucks! The most we've scored in one game was like 13 points. He gets excited just because he gets too play though, so why let him down and rain on his parade, and tell he sucks??? That would be so0o0o depressing. 

Todd – He plats the baritone. He's a male cheerleader…AND PROUD. But the dude has had like s0o0o many girl friends so don't get the wrong idea. He's cool. And he's not in pep band; supposedly he's too "cool" for pep band. That makes him dork….but in a bad way. Like, I'm a dork, but in a good way. Don't ask. 

JUNIORS!

Tim –Poor Timmy! He doesn't get his on category anymore. Anyways, he plays the baritone, and he's in pep band. He also does this freaky thing where he turns his head half way around until he's just about looking RIGHT behind him….very freaky, but that's Tim for ya.

Ok, I realized Jack is a junior…

Jack!  -  You can't forget this dude. He has a real passion for band. You should see him when he directs. You also know when he's in the room =, because he'll be the loudest one in there. He plays tuba, and is in pep band.

Last but NOT least….SENIORS!

Pat! – This dude is awesome. He plays saxophone. He's always making all sorts of cracks during band, so watch out. And of course, he's in pep band.

Bob! – He plays quads. He's very neato. He's also in pep band.

Dale! – This dude plays trumpet. He's not that good but he tries. He's got a magic trumpet! See story. He also dressed up as Mr. D(Our band director) last year for Halloween.

Chaz – THIS DUDE HAS GOTTA BE THE BEST DRUMMER EVER! He really ROX on snare. It's awesome just watching him play. How does he do it?!?!

Dan – He's a sax player. He hangs out with Pat, Bob, and Jack a bunch. I don't know him all too well, but I'm starting to "interact" with him so I need him on here. 

Mark – This dude is kind of scary (sorry "Mark" if you're readin' this!). But he came up with the idea of THE WINTER SCALE GAMES! He's a legend really. 

Ok I think that's it for characters….for now. 

The Tequila and Fatman 

Everyone knows that song right?? And the part that goes TEQUILA! Well it's not "proper" to shout an alcoholic beverage out in the football stands, and it sounds like we're promoting drinking  we wouldn't wanna do that! Now would we??)

So we're in band, deciding what to shout. A few things were suggested:

POTATOE!

VILLAS! (Bad neighborhood)

TOM'S MOM!

GO LOWER! (Lower Township is our school's district, Lower for short)

CHUCK RIO! (The guy that wrote the song)

So all through practicing we shouted one of these things. Except Mr. D wouldn't let us shout TOM'S MOM…I wonder why….We also weren't allowed to shout VILLAS even though over half the band wanted to shout it. The director said he didn't want us all to get beat-up after the game….go figure. We decided to vote. We all voted for POTATO, but then Mr. D said we sounded like retards, and we ending up saying GO LOWER which sounds really wrong if you think about it. 

Pat, and Dale are standing behind Mr. D.

"I reeeally don't trust you guys standing behind me" Mr. D laughed. And he had good reason not to, because as he was talking they made faces at him behind his back:-D. He also notices Pat is sweating. 

"And why are you sweating???" He asked with a smile.

"Because I'm fat." 

The whole band starts laughing.

"What! You wanted an honest and straight answer that that's what I gave you!"

Mr. D is trying to respond but he can't stop laughing. 

"Aw thanks, I'm comfortable with being FAT thank you." Pat says. Everyone laughs on.

"I think I'm going to go the guidance counselor and CRY now, thanks GUYS!" He jokes. We all haven't stopped laughing. 

More laughing….END


	2. The Hallween Parade

~The Halloween Parade~

I walked into the band room and everyone was all in costume. Now it was time to figure out what everyone was. I was like a devil gypsy thing... with a bright orange short haired wig, when I have longish light brown hair. 

(A/N Just so ya know I'm throwing in some more characters in here. I think you guys will be alright without any real description of them)

"I'm not exactly sure what you are, but I like that wig" Bethany (freshman flute player, and that day, a pirate)

"Yeah Sheila, I'm digging that wig, what are you?" asked Margie.

"I really don't know" I laughed.

I had to laugh at some people and their costumes. Jack and Pat were both Super Mario. They argued about whose costume was better…

"I challenge you to a duel" said Jack.

He takes off one of his whiter gloves and smacks Pat (he also smacked Kristy and Shamu, for the heck of it).

Matt whips off his glove and slaps Jack so hard he nearly falls over. "I ACCEPT" said Matt. That was the end of that.

Mike is playing that one snake charmer song on his clarinet…be cause he was a snake charmer dude. Bob is yelling at people for calling him a pirate, because he isn't "just a pirate". He stands up tall and at attention "CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW OF THE BLACK PEARL…GET IT RIGHT YOU FOOLS"

Soon we're all ready and we get load the buses. I end up sitting with Cheri (Punk skater dude), Shamu (Zombie Lawyer), Pat, Bob, Todd (A Cheerleader) and Jack.

Todd strokes his legs all the way there. "Dudes….this is reeeally uncomfortable…" He was wearing tights obviously.

"Cheri! I'm flat. I mean look at me, I'm flat" he said staring at his chest.

"Ok, NOW you're scaring me." She said. 

We arrive at the parade and we stand around warming up with various songs in a very informal way.

"Let's play Flying Cadets!" Kristy shouted to me. 

"Ok!" 

So we started with just me and her, then Star joins in. A trumpet player joins in, and I think we a got a sax too….So now we're standing in a little circle of freshman playing a song from last year, that all the other people didn't know. Then we started playing a Gary Owen, American Irish Fantasy, and Lucky Day March, in the order of how we all knew them. That was the song we played in the New York St. Patrick's Day parade, and it was the song we win FIRST PLACE with. 

Soon we were lined up. I was between Star, and Shamu. The marching and playing itself went along pretty well. Since it wasn't a competition, and it was for fun, the saxophone line felt the need to start a little dance as they marched. They were all doing it so it didn't look bad, but instead it was quite funny.

When we finished marching, we stood around a picnic area, where free pop corn and lemonade were being distributed. During this time I took off my bright orange wig. Star took it and put it over her own gorgeous Egyptian black hair. Then it was "villas-ed"  by Mike, then Rachel(freshman mallet player), and others. I'm not sure how many people wore my wig that day, but let's just say….that wig wasn't going back on MY head J 

I go up to Bob…

"You know what Bob…you're not a very good Captain Jack Sparrow" I said.

"I'm not?" He asked.

"Well….Captain Jack Sparrow is mad hot!! And you're…uh…not?" I said. But 

really Bob is very hot indeed…

"Hey! I wouldn't say that to someone who's all cranky from marching, and who carries hard metal mallets around with him" He simply with a smirk on his face. I grabbed his mallets, but he wouldn't let go, so we wrestled around with the mallets for a bit.

I had a bit of orange on my hands from when I sprayed my some of my hair orange, and Fred goes up to me… "Hey…you have orange on your hands!"

"Yes….yes I do." I says. "Want some??"

I rub my hand on his hair. "Hey!! If I have orange in my hair…." He trails off. Mike had noticed the orange on my hands before and knew that it wasn't coming off of my hands. "Look, it doesn't come off" he said. He held out his hand so I could try to rub the orange off of my hand onto his. No results. 

Soon we were loaded back onto the buses, and headed back to the school. Then came the singing…yes. The singing. Pat, Jack, and Bob began singing and it was so freaking funny…

"This is the song that never ends!" All

That never ends.' Said very simply by Jack.

"Yes it goes on and on my friends!" All

'Yes my friends' Jack

"Some people starting singing it not knowing what it was!" All.

'Oh they started sing, but they didn't know what it was' Jack

"And they'll go on singing it forever just because" all.

'OH just because' Jack

"Then came the beat-boxing….scurryness.

END of this one.


	3. My Audition

My Audition…

Last week was the week Mr. D assigned for clarinet auditions. However he decided to extend the auditions to Wednesday. I had planned on trying out Thursday, because then it wouldn't be considered waiting until the last minute, but I still wanted a little more time to practice. I take go to take my clarinet home Friday, but I had left it on the bus. As was my luck, that wasn't our regular bus, or bus driver. So my clarinet was (and still is…) missing. Monday, we spent the band period arranging the band room for yearbook pictures, and clearing it out for the Tri M induction that night. Tuesday however, it was still missing. Mr. D didn't have any spare instruments he could let me use. Tuesday night I called John, to ask him if I could borrow his clarinet. Yes, he has a clarinet, he bought one because he wanted to learn how to play it, and he hasn't yet. So Wednesday morning I knock on the music office door, and I was greeted by the smiling Mr. D. "Are you busy?" I asked.

"No, I was just burning CD's….would you like to audition??" he asked.

"Yes please!"

He instructed me to go to the dressing room (the band room was occupied), and wait in there for him. I had never been inside the dressing room before, it was neat. So as I am waiting I put John's clarinet together with much difficulty. Those were the driest corks I have ever seen on a clarinet I swear… 

As I began to warm up, it was sounding scratchy because of the new reed and all (my fellow reed-suckers know what I mean). Soon Mr. D walks in. "So how are you?"

"Not so good" I was still upset about losing my clarinet.

"And why's that???" he asked, he usually gets a bright and cheery response from me.

"Because I lost my clarinet…" 

"Uh oh…" he said. I went on and told him the story. Just then Kevin walks in. Kevin was 1st chair in the Jr. High when he was in 8th, and so was I when I was in 8th. He's a sophomore, and he's really skilled. My predecessor…

"Come with me, Kevin, we'll be right back" Mr. D said. Kevin just kind of looked blankly and came in and sat down. 

Mr. D takes me to the music office and calls the Jr. High to see if anything was found there (A/N the Jr. High, and the high school are right across the football field from each other, so they share a lot of the same things, like buses.). As was expected, nothing was found. Then Mr. D and I walked down to the main office to see if anything was then. On the way there, Mr. D turns to me, and he has this funny look on his face. "What's your name??" He said kind of embarrassed I suppose.

"Mr. D that is really sad! You know me!!"

"Yeah I know… What's even sadder is I know about everyone in the band, but not their names." We both laughed.

While down at the main office he was talking to one of the secretaries, and he said "This charming young cherub here has misplaced her clarinet…." Me?? A charming young cherub?! I think not…

Upon re-entering the practice room, I said "Wow, I get to audition with Kevin, that's so cool." 

I warm up a bit more, and he asks me what I want to do first. He told me what I chose is what Kevin will have to do first too. I didn't want to choose something that Kevin didn't want to do first. I looked at Kevin…he looked back…I looked at Kevin….he looked back…I shrugged, and picked the solo part. I took out my solo and played about 10 measures of it, and he stopped me. The dynamics of the song say to go fast, and play slow. "Now go back, play it slower, and play it louder." 

"Um…ok."

So I did. After the first 5 measures it seemed as if I was dragging on, because I was used to playing it faster, so I picked up the tempo a little bit. Then he stopped me once again. He asked which of the two times was played better, and what was wrong. Except he didn't ask _me_, he asked _Kevin. Kevin had simply shrugged his shoulders and said "The first time I guess." "Thank you Kevin!" I said to him, because I played how I wanted to and how it was supposed to be played that time…_

Mr. D had said "The second was better. The first time you weren't thinking. You rushed and jumbled some notes. The second time, what I had said made you think, and it sounded a lot clearer, however you did speed back up, but ut also sounded better."

"So you just did that to play with my head?"

"Yeah, it's a form of psychology."

"Well thanks for messin' with my head!!"

"Teachers are supposed to mess around with their students' heads. It says we have to in small print on the very bottom of our contracts" he said laughing. I laughed. Then he said "Ok, that's it, what do you want to do next?" 

Whoa…I only played the first ten measures. The song gets a lot better (Spring Time, By: Louis Verroust) So I'm like "That's it?! I haven't gotten to the good part yet!" Well there isn't exactly one good part, basically the song changes in parts, but the beginning(what I played) is almost the same thing repeated. Towards the end it gets really good. "So where's the good part?" He asked. "About there" I pointed to where the tune switches off to a different rhythm, which was in the middle of the song. "Ok then play there." He said. 

So I began playing, I messed up about 15 measures later, and I stopped. I never got to the finally at the end…oh well.

"Ok" he said plainly. "What do you want to do next? Scales or sight reading?" I chose sight reading. "OK fright reading it is" He said. "Fright reading…what a lovely way to put it." I said. "Well that's what it is!"

"Yeah yeah…."

I looked it over…it didn't look that bad. I asked him for the tempo, and he said "Since this is a marching piece, this is normal marching tempo…" he clapped his hands at a fast tempo. I was about to say something when he continued. "This is British marching tempo…" He clapped a lot slower this time. I didn't get my hopes up, because I knew he wouldn't ask me to play it at that tempo. It would be too easy. Then he's like "This is performance tempo..." he clapped at about the same speed as he did the first time, except I think it may have been faster. Now I'm like "Ok, give me first-time-I've-ever-seen-this-before-sight-reading tempo." He laughed and gave me a tempo somewhere in between the British march, and the performance tempo. "Ok that's better." I said. Then I played it. I played he beginning ok, but then I soon got stuck on the last measure of the introduction.  All clarinet players have had trouble with this. But ya know high A, and Bb? How there's just that one side key that separates. The measure was fourth eight notes(I remember it perfectly of course, because I messed up) A, Bb, A, Bb, then into the next measure was high D. I played that measure like 5 times. I'm not sure if I got it right. But I think I played it that many times because I wasn't sure if I had it right. And I wanted to play it right.(I nailed it when I got home that day, of course after the auditions…) 

Then we play scales. "What's your favorite scale?" he asked. I honestly don't have a favorite scale. I like the ones that I can play. Like, C, G, F, D, A, Bb, Eb, and others. "I don't have a favorite scale…I like the ones that I can play." 

"Ok then pick one to play." He said.

"Well I guess there's C, but that one's so easy--" He cut me off. "Then play C."

"Really??"

"Yeah, go ahead." 

So I play C. Then he's like now play B. So I played B, but I messed up a couple times as I was getting into the 2nd octave, so he said to just play one octave. So I didn't play the second octave. Then he says " Now play the E chromatic in 3 octaves." And I'm like "E?" I could do it but I'm usually play F in 3 octaves. "Ok, but I usually play F…" And Kevin's like "Yeah, I usually play F too." So he said "Ok play whichever you want." I played E. 

Then instead of asking Kevin to play his solo first, he told him to play scales, as long as we on the subject. First Kevin played F, then he was asked to play B. He couldn't get it. I was thinking 'Wow…' Then Mr. D is like "See? You didn't do all that bad. You got a higher score than he did." "But I messed up when I played it!" I protested. "Well at least you played it!" "Yeah…but…" I was in shock that I had got a better score. Then Kevin played his solo. I took one glance at it, and walked away. It looked really hard. Then he started playing it…that's when the shock of me doing better went away. Then he played the circus song. He played it pretty well, missed up a couple times, nothing as bad as I did though. 

So that was it…the END of the audition. Wow. 

Next Tuesday…

Mr. D posted scores. I got FOURTH CHAIR. The highest freshman. I sit next to Kevin who of course got third. Mike got like 6th, Star 8th, and Shamu has yet to audition. 


	4. Touching Abrahm and the Apocalypse

(A/N Sorry, this is a short one guys)

~Dale and Dancing Bob~

Rehearsal is going along just fine. We had stopped playing and Mr. D was going over a part in a section. When all of a sudden you hear loud, giggling, screaming. Mr. D looks in the direction of the source of the screaming, and he says, "DALE! STOP TOUCHING HER!!" 

"I WASN'T TOUCHING HER!!" Dale shouted, laughing. 

*O0o0o's from everyone in the band*

"Well I look over there, and I see your hand leaving from her." Mr. D said.

"But I wasn't touching her!" Dale still protested. The girl was in a fit of giggles.

*More o0o0o's from everyone in band*

We continue playing. Mr. D cut us off yet again, and this time it was the trombones. He asked them to play the nice little tune they had. I wish I could describe it better, but it was a nice little polka rhythm. The trombones played this section several times. Bob, who was growing quite bored in the back, started doing a little jig to go along with the playing. Mr. D joined in with Bob, and the rest of the percussion session mimicked Bob's jig. The trombones stopped playing, and the dancing stopped. 

*Laughter from all over*

We continue playing. After we had finished with that song, Mr. D requests we take out "Abrahm's Pursuit", a favorite of most in the band.

"Bob and I tried to pursuit Abrahm…"

Mr. D "EW! EW!"

After we finished the piece we began to discuss an upcoming parade. We discuss what to do in case of rain, or other bad weather. 

"If the Apocalypse comes on Sunday do we still have to go??" Dale.

"Dale, if the Eternal Apocalypse comes on Sunday, stay home. The lest images I want burned onto my soul is you guys."

*Laughter and "Hey"s of protest*

"Ok." Dale

END of this one.


	5. Confuzzled Turkeys

A/N Because of how I can't seem to keep up with what happens in band everyday, I'm just kind of fudging stuff over. 

~Confuzzled~

Our band is arranged like this: First row – Clarinets, Second row – Fruits, err, Flutes. Then brass, and stuff (I never pay attention to the EXACT seating of everyone). One day Mr. D was like, "Ok, first row, clarinets, go stand over there, and take all your stuff with you."

We then kind of trudged along to the corner "A little quicker please you guys?" he beckoned. Then he told the flutes to move up into the first row, and clarinets to replace them in the second row. So I was now in the center of the room. It was pretty cool. Except we were sitting right in front of the first trumpet players, one of which, Jason, will purposely blast in your ears, because he knows how much we're afraid of him doing it. We went through one song, and instead of saying "First clarinets, I can't hear you, play louder." He told the flute players to all move down to one side, and he put all the first clarinet players to one end of the first row, and of course I'm stuck on the very end. Mr. D also moved some of the low brass instruments as well. 

Jack, (A/N I kinds screwed up Jack, he's a junior…but he's tall enough to be a senior! And he hangs out with all the seniors!), walked into the band room to see Mr. D for something, he had just come from one of the other music departments (orchestra, chorus, Tri-M perhaps). And I start talking to me and he's like "WHOA! WHAT'D YOU GUYS DO?!" His eyes dart back and forth in the different sections of the band room. "You're over here….they're over there...ok now I'm all confuzzled." He shakes off his confusion, and then sees Mr. D about whatever. 

 ~Turkey Day Football Game~

Ok I get to the band room, and there aren't many people there, and the people that were there, were just gathered in a small semi circle in the back or the backroom by the office. There was one SLIT thing odd….PJ WAS THERE. PJ is the 8th grade younger brother of Kristy, and he play's baritone. He was playing with us for the day, because we only had one other baritone player, Tim. Soon Tim walks in. Well, he didn't _really _walk in. He was on crutches, because he tore up his ankle playing hockey. Anyways, Pat and  we're kidding around with him about how he was handicapped. 

"Hey here's comes the disabled!" Pat.

"Hey Jack." Tim

"Shut up gimpy!" Jack.

"Hey don't make fun of the cripple!"  I said.

Mr. D corrects me… "It's not "cripple", he has a disability, and he's disabled." 

"Ha-ha, my bad." I said.

Soon more people came. Kristy and I started playing a song from the previous year. Then Greg, a sophomore, walked up to us.

"That was really good." He said.

"Thanks!" Kris and me.

We went off to the stands a little later. I was about to take my usual seat between Mike and Alicia, but then Mike had to move up a seat, because Sandra needed more room for her quads. So Mike was behind me, not necessarily the best thing. I soon learned this when we played "The Hey Song". I was between his knees, and he rocked his knees from side to side while the drums were playing BUMP bah bump bump BUMP bah BUMP BUMP, bump bah bump bump bump bah BUMP BUMP, and so on and so forth. But he stopped when we had to play, however when we had rests we still nudged me, but I nudged back. This goes on throughout a couple songs. 

A little after half time, I was turned around, talking to everyone that was sitting behind me. These were Erin (not in band but wishes she had talent enough to be in band), Mike, Rachel (not in band, but wishes she had talent enough to be in band), and Margie. Erin and Rachel should really in be in band. They're at every football game, and they hang out with us all the time anyways. I can see Rachel banging on a bass drum…get Erin a tuba hahaha. Anyways, I was kind of spaced out; I was turned around leaning on Mike's knee with my hand, and mike goes and start to put ketchup on my hand. It took me a second to come back to earth and realize what he was doing, and I was like "Hey!!!" and he just starts laughing at me. I go to wipe the ketchup off on his pants, but he took my hand, and he wiped my hand on Erin's pants. 

It was a very W**** football game. (A/N that's someone's last name and I have to refer to Kristy's DJ for exact details here, she actually pays attention to detail)

The pep band always sits on the very far right side of the stands. And Jack sits by the fence, and he's usually standing up as well. Pat sits below him. Soon after the National Anthem, Pat points out to Jack. "Hey it's your brother! Ben!" 

Ben walks up to them carrying his mellophone case. "Oh my god…" Jack said laughing. A little bit later, Jack spots his other brother with his trumpet in hand. "Oh my god…" he says some more still laughing. And soon after that, his dad arrives with his clarinet, and his mom with her piccolo. Jack was all freaking out. "Hey it's a W**** football game!" calls out Kristy. "YEAH IT'S THE W**** FAMILY REUNION!!!" Jack was still in his normal seat, while his older, graduated siblings, and his parents, sat with Mr. D. 

As usual, the band and we got into a fight with the cheerleaders. They're so funny lookin'… 

It was the 4th quarter, and they hollered at us "PLAY SOMETHING!!!" 

"DIE!" said most of the pep band.

"THE HEY SONG!" They cried. We had already playing that song like 5 times and Pat shouts "NO!!!!!!"

Jack takes the lead, "BAND! *everyone looks up at him* WHATDAYA WANNA PLAY?!"  

We all yelled out several different songs, included some that were a few pages long, and were for concerts, and most didn't have memorized. Then Jack's trumpet playing brother stood up, and shouted "JACK I GOT AN IDEA! PLAY MILK (Moo juice) REALLY FAST OVER AND OVER UNTIL THE END OF THE GAME!" Jack had the most sinister grin EVER on his face. "WE'LL DO IT! OK BAND, HERE'S WHAT YA DO! FOllOW ME!!!!" 

Surprisingly enough we all followed Jack. Greg ended up banging his sticks so hard they broke into several pieces. Of course, our team lost the football game….

Yeah, it's the END.


	6. Concert Prep

~Concert Prep.~

It's double period band…WOOHOO!!!

We go over parade music…then we all go out to practice on the stage. The stage had been occupied by the orchestra, so we were basically switching rooms. So we're walking down the music dept. hallway, a large group of students carrying a variety of instruments going one way, large string instruments going the other. One of the orchestra students had gotten in the way of a band member, and the O.S had said "Sorry for being in your way, forgive me." 

However the band member had said "HOW DARE YE BE IN THE WAY OF THE BAND! That is unforgivable."

*Laughter from everyone in the area*

We get in there, and I take my seat on the very edge of the clarinets. My chair was about maybe a little less than a foot away from the edge of the stage. 

"MR. D I'M GONNA FALL!!!" I shouted.

Mr. D walks over. "Ok, but you've got to be closer to the end." He said while some what laughing.

"Did you not hear me?? I'm gonna fall!" I shouted, half laughing.

"Stand up…"

I got up…

He takes my chair and movies it literally an inch away from the VERY EDGE OF THE STAGE. "LILY HELP ME!" I screamed. Lily sits next to me. 

"Oh, if I was you right now, I'd be scared to death."

"Oh thanks Lily."

"Any time." She said.

Then I've got Mike sitting behind me pretending to knock over my chair and push me off stage. 

Dun dun dun…it's the end!

A/N Yeah, short one again. Parades and concert coming soon, so I should have plenty to write about this month!!!


	7. Concert

A/N Yeah yeah yeah, I know I kinda promised a lot of stories coming up soon, but the parade I was looking forward to was rained out. But we have a parade tomorrowJ 

~D DAY er, I mean THE CONCERT~

I come home that day from school and I have some idea of what I'm wearing for the concert. Mr. D told us to wear black pants/skirts, and a white shirt. So I come home and I look all over for my white shirt, and after much difficulty I had to find my black pants…which I also had complications finding…go figure. MY mom decides just to take me out and she buy's me a skirt and a new shirt. Which really wasn't necessary…

But any how, I show up, and there aren't a whole lot of people there yet, but I get my clarinet out anyway, to warm up and what not. As I'm walking down the music hallway, to the band room, Brittany (President of Tri M, I believe she's a senior) comes skipping up to me with a Santa Claus hat full of small candy canes. 

"SHEILA! I bought candy canes for the band!!!" She says in her really high-pitched voice that most of the senior dudes (and Jack) make fun of. So I take a candy cane… "Thanks Brittany" she skips past me to people who are walking behind me, and I hear "I bought candy canes for the band!" as I keep walking.

As I entered the band room, I quickly found Kristy, and Star, and everyone else in our usual band geek clique.

"BRIDGES IS HERE!!!" screams Kristy.

"WOOHOO! I HAVE ARRIVED!...HOLLER!" I replied.

"HOLLER!" she says back.

Of course Kristy has her flute out as well, and we play "Tournament" a bunch of times, we also play "Colonel Bogey", and "Flying Cadets"…all by heart. Ya know, just warming up! Mr. D comes in and reminds us that we are last, and he gives us the option of staying in the band-room (while the chorus warms up), or to go watch the orchestra perform. Now, I stayed in the band-room for a little bit, and then I traveled to up and down the music hallway with Star. We run into Dale (who had just came in…really late), and Brittany

"DALE! COME BACK HERE!!!" she cried.

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" screamed Dale.

"Go out to the lobby and sell hot chocolate for Tri M!!" she ordered. 

"You go do it! _You're the president! And besides I've gotta get my trumpet together." He said._

"Ha Dale has to get out his magic trumpet…" I said. (A/N I realized I didn't have anything about Dale's Magic Trumpet in here! Oh no! That tale will be coming shortly)

"Yes I do." He said.

"Well, you can get out your _magic _trumpet later! Go sell hot chocolate!" she said.

Dale runs into the kennel. 

*_Kennel – Relatively small room with cages in it, used for storing instruments._

He hides in a tuba kennel(but this is unknown to us at the time, also Dale has got to be one of the smallest seniors there is, he's smaller than most everyone, but I would like to make it clear he isn't the smallest) and Brittany came storming in…I followed. 

"DALE!"

No reply…

"FIIIINE!" she growls as she walks away.

I stay in there, and Star walks in. About 5 seconds later, Dale tumbles out of the tuba kennel. 

"DUDE!" shouts me and Star at the same time. "Whoa…that's cool!"

"Yeah…I know." He says quite simply, and he goes off to continue hiding from Brittany. 

Star and I find ourselves in the hallway again, and Mr. D comes walking by, and we say hi to him. As he is walking he gets called by another teacher. "Oh darn it!!! I almost got by!!" he said as he turned in his tracks. When he is done addressing the teacher's needs, he comes back walking by us noticeably faster though. "Run Mr. D, run! "I said. 

Soon I had to find Kevin and ask him if we were using his music tonight, and to double check to make sure he had it all. Star and I found him by the auditorium doors, watching the orchestra play. 

He had it, so Star and I found our way back to the band room. Mike's slouching in a chair, playing a game on his cell phone….right where we left him. So I wave my hand in front of his phone and said "Lose!" And less than a minute later, he gets up, waves his phone in my face, and he says "I lost! Are you happy now???"

"Quite." I said.

We all gallivant around the band room while, since the band was performing last. The chorus had already gone in to sing. I was talking with Mike and Shamu, and Mike kept knocking over a guitar.

"Stupid guitar! Why won't you stay up?!?!" he yelled at the inanimate object. We are sitting near the grand piano, and Shane (junior? French horn player) comes and plays "Stairway to Heaven" on the piano. It sounded really good…he's got some skills!

"I can play that on guitar…" I stated plainly.

Mike hands me the guitar, "Ok." He says.

So then I go and I play it, my nails were a little to long to be playing it, but it was halfway decent…maybe…considering that fact that I wasn't really trying. Tasha (clarinet player…junior?) and I pass the guitar back and forth a couple times, playing on it. Then we all moved on the piano. Mike played something I didn't recognize, but it was really good. I didn't know he had the skittles for that.

_*Skittles – Mike's term for "skills"._

Fred comes up playing "Iron Man" on his oboe. Margie who absolutely loves that song starts singing along with Fred's playing. " WE…ARE..IRON MAN!!! DUN NA NUN NA NUN NA nah nah nah nah!" Then Kevin shows her how to play it, so she begins playing it on trumpet. I read her trumpet fingerings and played it on my clarinet. So now it's the three of us playing.

When we have stopped playing, now Mike standing beside me. I forgot what Kevin and I were talking about (if it's me and Kevin then it is no good), and all of a sudden a hear "eOw! eOw!" (Mike's cries of pain). I turn and he's got the ligature of his clarinet caught in his curly hair. "eOw!" He gets it out of his hair. Fred, Shamu, and I continue to laugh at him. Soon the chorus finishes, and we're up!!

I sit on the very edge of the stage on the far side, so I have to walk right on the edge of the stage to take my seat. As I walked backstage the curtain wasn't open but as I draw closer to my seat, right before I made my way across the front of the stage, someone has to open the curtain. After we had all took our seats, Mr. D walks to the front of the band, and waits a little bit for the principal to announce the band, but he never did, so he gave us the tempo, and raised his arms, and we all put our instruments, as we were getting ready to play "Ladies and gentleman, the LCMR Symphonic Band as directed by Mr. D". We all put down our instruments, and Mr. D mocks the principle as he's talking with his hand .  We all start laughing quietly amongst ourselves. Soon we begin playing, and it went along quite well. However there's a 3 clarinet player up beat part, and me being the 4th of 4th clarinets, wasn't playing, while the other firsts were. I felt weird sitting on the end not playing. At the end of the concert, Brittany gives Mr. D his present from all of the seniors. 

~Next Day in Band~

Mr. D to Pat… "I've got to talk to you."

"It was Jack's idea!!" He said.

"Yeah it was my idea!!" said Jack.

"No I think you're just sticking up for Pat." Said Mr. D

"No really!!!" they shouted.

It was suggested by Jack, that they get Mr. D some turtle wax, and put "From Pat" on it. Mostly because one day in band a couple years ago, Pat just got up in the middle of class took a scarf(I think) and polished Mr. D's head.


	8. The Bohemian Xmas Parade

~Christmas Parade~

Ok I walk into the band room wearing 2 shirts, and 3 pairs of pants. Yeah, it was cold. 

We were instructed to get our uniforms, and only put on the pants for now. So I fetch my uniform, and put on my pants. Now, my three pairs of pants just weren't fitting under the uniform. So I took off my top layer of pants (pj pants). Rachel (freshie mallets player) yells "SHEILA! Can you resist taking off your pants in public?!?!"

"I've got 2 others on!!!!" I shouted back, laughing. 

Then we have Fred, whose wearing under-armor, that's too big for him, so the shirt goes past his waist. It was black and tight… 

"FRED'S WEARING A SKIRT!!!" I shouted, for all to hear of course.

"NOT HUH!! MY under-armor is too big! And it just _looks _like I'm wearing a skirt." He protested. 

Mike's busy complaining about how his pants make him look fat. 

"I look like a woman…who's had at least 3 kids." he says.

"That and Fred's wearing a skirt." I added. 

"I'm not wearing a skirt! but at least me and Sheila don't look like we're girls." Fred said.

*Evil glare from me, as I go to push him* Mike's laughing, and then Fred realizes what he just said. "…who's had three children! *I push him* hey I corrected what I said!"

We all just start laughing. 

After we've all got our uniforms on, Mr. D tells us to load the buses. I sit w/Mike, and Fred is behind us. Mike and Fred are talking about who knows what, and I just kinda spaced out. Then they made fun of me for spacing out!!

"I think she's asleep….with her eyes _open._" Said Fred. Mike proceeds to clap his hands in my face. "Hey I'm awake!" I said.

"But you're not talking! You're just kind of sitting there, looking all blaaaaah."

"That's 'cause I have no idea what you guys are talking about, and I've got nothing to say." I replied.

"Your sugar-high died" said Mike…*tear*.

Not that much later, we got there. We met in a parking lot, so we line up, play the song once, and then wonder around the parking lot, staying in the general vicinity. 

For a little bit, Mike was a talking mime. Yes, a _talking _mime. It didn't last that long…even if he could talk.

Then we stood in a lil circle, each of us resting our arms on someone(s) else. We started singing. Mostly Bohemian Rhapsody, but I only know like not even half the words to that song. When they were done playing, I said "ok, now let's play something I know the words to!" 

Then Fred started singing How You Remind Me, so we sung that one. Well, we song some of it, and then we were called to get back in lines. We were last in the parade by the way.

I ended up being in between Kevin, and Mike. We marching a little bit to get to the spot we had to be in, and where we could watch the rest of the parade. That was fun, got some candy. Everyone was stuffing candy in their Santa hats. I saw my karate class go by, so I'm like "DEREK! DUTZ!" (Derek: Lil' bro, Dutz: friend). And a lot of people know Dutz, so they started screaming "Hi" to Dutz. "Hey you guys, say hi to my little brother too!!!" I said.

"HI DEREK! /HI SHEILA'S LITTLE BROTHER" a bunch of people screamed. 

"Ok that's better." I said, but by that point they were almost gone.

We saw the Jr. High band that everyone loves! We all have a ton of friends in that band, so we were all saying high. Some were also saying "Go T***** go ***** go, go, go T*****. (T***** - name of the school). 

Todd was really hyper that night too. I was standing with Mike, Kevin, and Tim and I feel a slight tugging on the end of my Santa hat. Todd had the ball of my Santa hat in his mouth. "Todd! EW! Gross!" I said. He just started laughing. Tim, Fred, and Mike didn't see what happened, and they wanted to know what I was screaming about. "TODD HAD MY BALL IN HIS MOUTH!!!" I shouted.

"YOUR _BALL?!"  They asked. "Is there something you're not telling us?!"_

"No, EW, no, EW, no. My Santa hat!" I said.

"Oh ok, ew." they said.

Soon we had to line back up, and start marching. 

Once we were at all stand still, Mike put his hands in his pants. "Mike! What are ya doing?!? I said.

"They stay warmer in there!! You should try it!!" he said.

"Mike, get your hands out of your pants! There are innocent people watching!" I said.

"_Innocent people?? _Innocent?? _ I see no _innocent _people around." He said._

Shamu, who's behind us, says "Oh you know what he's doing with his hands in his pants." 

"Hey! My hands are like at my bellybutton, there is some space! *he does a hand gesture to show they space* 

"Oh jeeze…" I sighed.

"Mike I forbid you to put your hands in your pants."

"Awwwww, can I put them in someone else's pants????" he asked hopefully.

"No." I said quite plainly.

After some marching, we come to another stand-still. He had stopped in front of a house with a wide front room window, and they're TV was on. It was a game. Star, and Kevin start watching it.

"Is that football?" she asked. You couldn't see the TV very well.

"No it's hockey….Flyers game…" said Kevin, somewhat entranced by the TV. I'm watching them watch the game, and they kept moving around, because Mike and I were in the way.

"Kevin, would you like me to move?" I asked. He smiles, and nods.

So I step aside. Mike, however, jumps in the way even more. "I'm not moving!"

He gets yelled at by those watching the game, and he gets pushed out of the way. 

More marching, another stand-still. I turn to see Kevin with his hands in his pants. "Kevin!" 

"What??" he said, innocently, as if he as done no wrong.

"If Mike can't put his hands in his pants then neither can you." I said. "Mike! Kevin stole your hands-in-pants idea."

"Hey! That was MY idea! I put a patent on that baby!" said Mike. 

Kevin doesn't listen, and continues to put his hands in his pants. "Well if he can do it, so can I!" said Mike as he sticks his pants in his pants. 

" Oh grrrrrr…" I said as I gave up. We marched the rest of the parade, and we were soon on the buses. 

Once again I sat with Mike, then Todd came and sat with us. Our bus proceeded to sing "Bohemian Rhapsody" some more. Jack talks really loud. We're just sitting there, and you can here him talking in the front of the bus. "My glasses got stuck to my uni-brow…"…

We were back in the bandroom, Jack was having a laughing fit from what was going on in the front of the bus. "Sheila! You should really have been on our bus!"

"Haha I WAS on your bus!"  
  


"Really?! Where?!"

"With Mike and Fred. *I mock him* 'My glasses got stuck to my uni-brow…'" . That just sent him into another laughing fit. After much difficulty (you marching band people should be familiar with the difficulty of uniforms), we were all out of our uniforms, and went home. Da END.

*A/N Yeah…Sorry I rapped this one up so quickly. I've been slacking a bit lately…DON'T HURT ME! I DO have school, and a LIFE you know. Maybe not a very lucrative or exciting one, but a life nonetheless. Anyways, I'm off to write a sci-fi story for my science class, and also the Dale and the Magic Trumpet story a promised. Cya!


	9. Magic Trumpet Marching

~Dale and the Magic Trumpet~ …As promised.

One day, staying after school for pep band, the trumpets were having problems with playing "Friend Like Me" (I think). Mr. D decided to go down the row of trumpets, so they can each play the part, and also so we could pinpoint the problem. Dale goes up….and totally screws up.

"Dale, you can't just move your fingers and expect the right notes to come out. That's F #, use your driving finger." He said, and we all started laughing. (A/N for all you non-trumpet players, you use your middle finger (a.k.a driving finger) to play F#)

"But I have  _MAGIC__ TRUMPET." He said, that REALLY got the pep band laughing._

"No Dale, you have a _SPECIAL TRUMPET. Special trumpets are for special people!" chimed Pat._

"NO I HAVE A _MAGIC TRUMPET!!!" He argued._

Mr. D gives up, and paces out another piece of music. I forget what it was…but we went through it once.

"Ok, now take the music, and hold it up in your right hand." He directed.

*Everyone follows like a bunch of robots*

"Now crumble it up into a ball"

*Crumble Crumble Crumble*

"_Now, I want you to throw it at Dale."_

*Half the band throws balls at Dale(who has taken cover behind a music stand), other half threw at Mr. D*

Ok, it's the END…BUT! I'm gonna include another story in here. HA! And YOU thought it was OVER! *maniacal laughter*

~Subtle Hints~

Tuesday! Double period band! W00t!

Mr. D was telling us about how he probably wasn't going to be here Thursday, and maybe Friday. "You will have a sub. I don't know if you will be playing or not. I don't care what you guys play if you are playing. That also reminds me. Our traditional march through the halls has been declined this year. Too many teachers had complained about how it "disrupted" their classes(for like 30 seconds)." 

(No band on Wednesdays)

Thursday Pat lead the band, conducting at really fast tempo's just to see if we could do it…OF COURSE WE COULD! Hehehehe.

Friday we had a sub…at first I thought he was cool, because I had him for a sub the previous class…what a coincidence? But then in band he turned very uncool. 

The first thing he said was "Go put your instruments away. We're not going to be playing. I don't like noise, and I never liked band. We're just going to sit and chill." Now if he had just said 'Hey, let's just hang out, don't worrying about your instruments.' That would have been ok, but he went all out and said he didn't like "noise" and he never liked band. That was UNNESCESSARY!

Anyhow, when Monday rolled around, we got a little talk from Mr. D. He was telling us about how he expected more from us. "C'mon you guys. I dropped all the appropriate hints! *he counted off on his fingers* I reminded you guys of how we march, and I told you that we weren't going to be here Thursday or Friday. Perfectly good opportunities to go march! You see, if I was here, or I had told you to, I would have gotten in trouble. But they can't quite punish the whole band ya know?"

"WE should go march now!!" someone said.

"_No, it doesn't work like that. I would have to stop you and stuff."_

Kelsey(junior, 2nd chair clarinet, sister of Margie), raised her hand. "Mr. D, can we all go to the bathroom?"

"Yeah, and take our instruments with us." I added.

He never answered us…he just laughed. "Can we march _outside _the building??" Mike suggested.

"IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!" a bunch of people shouted. "YOU'RE CRAZY'

"Not out in the parking lot, but literally, _around _the building, right next to the windows. He said. His idea was a no-go.

We never ended up marching. We could of just marched on the last day of school before break, but that was too expected, and MR. D is too much of a rebel for that.

It's the END, for real this time! 


	10. The Lost Chapter! Summer Band!

W00t! SPECIAL CHAPTER! Well, I was lookin' in my folder where I save all my stories. And I had more stories in there than I did on here…I realized I had there little summer band stories I never put up! So here they are combined in one nice long chapter!

Summer Band 

Ok…summer band started off pretty reasonably, considering the fact I started in a little late. It was a totally new experience for me; new band room, new band director, and new music. I had to get a feel for atmosphere if you know what I mean. What I could, and what I couldn't do, and what was expected of me. Stuff like that. This was awhile ago, so I'm just gonna improvise some of the parts I don't exactly remember.

~Day 1…or uh…Part 1~

As I walked up to the open band room door, I could hear the most advanced trumpet solo I have ever heard being played by my new director. I walked in, and there wasn't anyone I knew there yet. 

It was my first day, and I knew of some people that had already joined, but none of them had arrived yet. So I went up to this trumpet player, introduced myself, and asked her where the clarinets sit. She was pretty nice, and instructed me of the general area of where they were.

As I began to assemble my clarinet, my good buddy, P.J, walks in. I was very glad to see him.

"Hey you made it!" he said. 

"Yeah…where were ya?! You're late! Wait…no...I was just early" I said.

"Hahaha you can't yell at me! He said. By the way….PJ plays the baritone. 

I moved one row back to talk to him until others arrived, and as we were talking of our summers so far, I hear "Sheeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiillllaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I looked to the door, and there was Alicia, a good buddy of mine, who I hadn't seen for about a year. She also plays clarinet.

"Alicia!!!"

*Hugs*

We talked for a little bit. Then Connor and Mark arrive. They are two inseparable trombone players. No relation between the two, yet you always see them together. I talked to them for a bit. Then I said to Alicia,

"Hey…I need music. Or should I just look off yours?"

"You can look off mine, but you're gonna need to practice at home, go see Mr. D." She said.

"Ok, but come with me! I don't know him!" I plead.

"Scardy cat!!" She taunted.

"Pleeeeease?????

"Ok…ok…" She replied reluctantly.

We walk up to Mr. D.

"I need music." I stated.

*Laughs* "Ok, but can I at least have your name first??"

*Sighs, and laughs* "Hi, my name is Sheila, and I need music" I said monotonously. 

"Go look through the folders over there*points to a LARGE stack of music, on the floor, near the piano* you girls are friends?*

We nod in reply.

"Ok, then Alicia, why don't you give her a hand getting the songs she needs?"

"Sure" She said.

As we were looking for music, Mike walks in,, sits down, and began to assemble his clarinet. I had noticed he had arrived until I looked up and saw him.

"Fine Mike, don't say hi to me! I see how it is" I laughed. 

"I didn't see you!" he argued.

I continued to sit between Mike, and Alicia all through summer band.

~ Part 2~

One day we had gotten a song called "The Echo of the Infinite".

The director was talking to the flutes(or he says "fruits"). And we are whispering to one another in the clarinet section along with Fred the oboe player. Mike and Fred are best friends, and they are both really smart. Out of no where Fred asks…

"Hey guys, does the infinite really echo?" He used a serious and inquisitive voice. 

Emily and I just laughed. Of course Mike had to answer him.

"Well the infinite is space and space is a vacuum. Therefore it can't echo."

Their argument continued. Using very scientific phrases, phrases I can't remember because of the boring context. 

Several days later…

Mike and Fred weren't there that day. It's too bad too. Mr. D had heard our conversations about the supposedly echoing infinite, and he brought in an explanation of the song title. And they missed it! The two people who actually cared about it…missed it!

~Part 3~

After playing a song terribly, Mr. D looks at as all. 

"Ok, now who has the melody?" he said, then glared at the trumpet section.

"I think CONNOR has the melody! Not Mark, just Connor" I said. They were playing the same parts…

"Yeah I think the trombones have the melody!" Mike chimed in.

"Nah….just Connor!" I corrected him. 

"Why meeeee????" questioned Connor. "You're mean!"

*Laughter from all around*

"No the trumpets have the melody here….duh!" the director said. Mr. D raises his arms and we all put arm instruments back up. As he's counting off Mike mutters…

"I want bass drum to have the melody…."

ALL the clarinets started to laugh hysterically while everyone else went on playing, until Mr. D stopped and asked what was so funny.

"Mike said he wants bass drum to have the melody!" I explained.

"Bass drum!" Alicia said incredulously.

And Mike goes on. "Why not?? I've never heard _them have the melody!"_

"Mike….we only have like one drummer. I'm sure Pete's not going to be playing bass drum, when he can cover snare." I said.

We all shook off Mike's antics, and continued playing. 

*A/N Yeah…short little stories. Not much meaning to 'em, but I just wanted to get these up. 

*And a special THANKS A BAZILION to my reviewers. You guys rock! Luv yaz! ~Sheila~


	11. Random Little Moments

A/N this one is really short, mostly because not much has happened in band recently. Except for a couple little things, and I haven't updated in awhile so I thought I should.

~Random Band Moments~

*Who could forget the day Jack and Pat sucked helium out of balloons??

...I can't!!! I specifically remember standing in the band hallway, waiting for the bell to ring. After the bell... "LET'S GO PEOPLE! BELL RANG!" said Jack in his high squeaky voice. 

*John gets a _love note taken away from him by Mr. D. The director claims to not have read it, but then says to John, "You should really just talk to her in person."_

BAND DIRECTOR DISHIN' OUT DATING ADVICE?!

*I go to take my seat at the end of the clarinet row. Mike gets there first. "You stole my seat!" 

"Not huh. This is _my _seat." 

I shove him over, so now we were both sitting in the seat. We both proceed to take out our clarinets. About halfway through band Mr. D finally notices. 

"Why are you in here seat??"

"Yeah!" I said.

"I am not! She's in _my seat." He protested. Mr. D made him move._

*Things that Mr. D has said/called Pat and Jack so far this year. Yeah, I'm gonna be makin' this a lil list, I expect to add on a lot. But these are just two things that he said _this week_.

About Pat as band was over and he was walking by... "Frrreeeak."

Then there was when Mr. D was tellin' the 2nd and 3rd clarinets to play louder, so loud he would have to tell them to be quiet. And Jack's like "You never tell ME to get quieter!"

"You need to be neutered..."

THAT ONE SENT EVERYONE LAUGHING FOR A GOOD MINUTE.


	12. YB Pic or Lack there of?

~Yearbook Picture or Lack there of?~

Monday we were told to wear black socks, and not to forget our black shoes, because double period Tuesday we were taking the yearbook picture. 

I was with Mike, and Kristy getting on uniforms. Kristy and Mike were complaining about how they "got fat". "Darn holiday weight gaining." Actually my uniform fit better than it did before break... "Darn you and your weight losing" Mike said, while he struggled to get on his pants.

We got our uniforms on and a good third of the band forgot their black shoes and socks, so we had "hid" them in the back. Mr. D walks in front of the band as we were on the risers. 

"When you all see Tim (the usual photographer) you can yell at him." We had all been expecting to see Tim in the very near future, but then he continued. "Because he called in and said he forgot that he couldn't be here now." Almost the whole band groans. The Mr. D makes sure that we all have of black shoes and socks next Tuesday. 

We all changed out of our uniforms, and had congregated in small groups in various locations of the band-room. Soon our conversations were called to stop, and Mr. D says "A lot of people ask why the band doesn't ever watch movies..." 

The smart members of the band knew it was a trick, and didn't pay much attention to it. He also had said "You know, if I had known we had all this time, we could have ordered a pizza, and have gotten some soda."

"And you're telling us this now??" I said. 

He also had talked to us for about an hour about composers, and types of bands and music, mostly because he couldn't think of another way to productively preoccupy the band for an hour. We couldn't go on with rehearsal because the band room had been set up for pictures, all NHS, SADD, and Student Council were scheduled to take their pictures after-school. 

I sat on the floor in between Fred, and Hypatia (freshie sax player), with Mike sitting behind me. There was a lot of poking and nudging and tickling going on between Mike, Fred, and I. In fact, one of the first things Mr. D said as Kevin and I were pushing each other "I know what you guys are capable of if I let you guys loose. Oboe players will be pushing around clarinet players..."

"She deserved it!" Fred yelled.

"He started it!" I fought.

After band I caught up to Pat, and asked if he wanted a go at my soprano saxophone, that I got for Christmas. I knew he wanted to try one because the first thing he said after I told him I got it was "Dude, can I try it?"

So we had all went to the kennel...we all being Pat, Mark, Dan, Mike, Jack, and myself. "What key is it in?" he said after he put got it out. "Bb..." he cut me off. "Just like tenor..." I was gonna say like the clarinet actually, but tenor too. He played some quick tunes, probably improvised stuff, he was tellin' me how he loves to improvise stuff. Meanwhile, Mike had taken my band-sweatshirt....YES! I SAID BAND-SWEATSHIRT!...sacred treasure of the band-geek.  So instead of listening to Pat play stuff, I was wrestling around with Mike. After much difficulty, I got it back...or was it finally giving back? Can't 'member, oh well. 

Tim comes in, and says that we're getting pictures done. I'm not in any activities with Tim...."Whatdaya mean?"

"NJS, SADD, and Student Council are gettin' their pictures taken!"

"Oooooh! SADD!" so I went with him. Mike went....I don't know where. Pat and everyone else had left before that.

This is where the band story ENDs really....


	13. Pit

~Pit~

The spring musical is coming....Spring Musical = Pit.

We had our first pit practice. For those who don't know what the "pit" is, it's the band that plays with the musical. 

I was playing Reed 1 with Margie's older sister. We looked through the book of music, looking for the clarinet parts of it. We skimmed through flute parts, alto sax parts, and tenor parts. We found but one clarinet part. It wasn't very long at all! Mr. D told us we could play the tenor saxophone part, and so we went back and looked for the tenor part, we found it four pages into the book...in the song "Be My Baby." 

Throughout the whole practice Kelsey and I joked about how much we weren't playing. We sat through Mr. D explain the other rhythms, and we had learned all the other rhythms...to bad they were rhythms we didn't have. The hour and a half practice went by pretty slow. In the last two minutes of practice, Kelsey and I finally got to play! For a grand total of 2 minutes!

That day at school, towards the end of practice, Mr. D goes over to the corner where our stands are supposed to go. He knocks off all this trash that's on it. And there's a piece of gum stuck to it. 

"EW!!!" basically everyone moaned.

Mr. D picks up a piece of paper that he just knocked off, and flicks the gum off the stand with it. Then he goes up to my chair and rubs, his hand on my shirt. 

"EwWwWw!" I said.

"What?? There wasn't anything on there!!"

"But still!"

He laughs.

"I don't like you!!" I said trying not to laugh.


End file.
